Loop-cutting device for fabric-pile forming machines



LOOP CUTTING DEVICE FOR FABRIC FILE FORMING MACHINES Filed June 2.6, 1950 lt aa'tente'd lt ehm F, 193? n ire sr "WAJLK'EJEE. MYERS, UF FRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGN OR TO THE SINGER MANU- FACTURING- GOMIPANY, 0E ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW Il'iUOIP-U'UTTIlNGl- DEVICE FQR FABRIC-FILE FORMING MACHINES Application filed June 26,

This invention relates to improvements in machines for producing pile fabrics which comprise a base material from at least one face of which project cut-open loops of thread, yarn and the like.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a fabric-pile forming mechanism with convenient means for rapidly changing from the production of a pile of one length to another length. A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable means for predetermining the range of e fective action of the pile-length changing means.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages in view, together with means whereby the same may be carried into effect, will best be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front end elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a sewing machine comprising a fabric-pile forming mechanism having the present improved pile-length controlling device. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the pile forming mechanism viewed from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. l, with the throat-plate in section and including the thread-presenting looper. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the knife-carrying feeding foot, substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the feeding foot and the lower portion of the needle-bar substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 repre sents in perspective the feeding foot and the loop-severing knife, together with the knife adjusting and shifting elements.

'1 he present improvement has been embodied in the sewing machine forming the sub ject of my prior patent application filed April 25,1980, with Serial No. 447,174, to

which application reference may be had for a more complete disclosure of details of construction of the machine. The present invention is, furthermore, in the nature of an improvement in the thread loop cutting device of my U. S. Patent No. 1,793,866, issued Feb. 24,1931.

Referring to the drawings, the sewing machine in which the present improvement has 1930. $eria11To. 463,861.

been embodied has the usual cloth-plate 1 upon which is suitably secured a throat-plate 2 provided with a needle-aperture 3elongated in the direction of seam-formation. hanging the cloth-plate 1 is a bracket-arm terminating at its free end in a head 4 in which a vibratory frame 5 is pivotally supported for swinging-movements in the line of feed.

Journaled for endwise reciprocation in the frame 5 is a vertically disposed needle-bar 6 having in its lower end a socket 7 receiving the round butt end 8 of a loop-forming implement, comprising in the present instance a needle 9 provided with a thread loop seizing hook 10. The needle 9 is cut away or slabbed Overat one side from the needle point throughout the greater part of the needle lengthto provide a flat surface 11 terminating in a shoulder 12 formed by the round butt end 8 of the needle. The butt end of the needle is in engagement with the end Wall 13 of the needlebar socket 7 and is confined in said socket by a teat-screw 14 threaded into the needle-bar in position so that the reduced end 15 of the screw 14 underlies the needle-shoulder 12 and slightly clears the slabbed surface 11 of the needle. The described needle-securing means permits the needle to turn slightly about the longitudinal axis of the needle-bar and thereby to assume a position with its slabbed surfac 1.1 disposed flatwise in engagement with a thread-loop severing knife-blade hereinafter described.

Also journaled for endwise reciprocation in the vibratory frame 5 is a vertically disposed feed-bar 16 upon the lower end of which the vertically socketed shank-block 17 of a feeding-footv 18 is secured by means of a screw 19. Gne'of the side faces 20 of the feeding foot is provided with a vertically disposed groove 21 slidingly receiving the rounded side of the needle 9 and of sufficient depth whereby the flat face 11 of the needle is substantially flush with the side face 20 of the feeding foot.

Adjustably carried by the feeding foot 18 is a knife-blade 22 disposed fiatwise in engagement with the side face 20 of the feeding foot so as to be slidingly engaged by the fiat face 11 of the needle. The lower end of the knife-blade 22 has a cutting edge '23 inclined to the path of and slidingly traversed by the needle hook 10. The knife-blade 22 is confined to vertical adjustment upon the feeding foot between the adjacent face of the shankblock 17 and a guide-flange afforded by a plate 24 suitably secured upon the front edge of the feeding foot, it being of course obvious that. the guide-flange 24 might be formed integrally-with said foot.

The feeding-foot 18 has a vertical slot 25 f disposed adjacent to the groove 21 and-providing a guid shoulder 26 facing the knifeblade. Adjustably seated upon the guideshoulder 26 is a T-bolt 27 projecting through the slot 25 and secured by-a nut 28 and a washer 29. The bolt 27 has a threaded aperture 30 for receiving a stop-screw 31 passing through a yertically elongated slot 32 in the knife-blade. A friction washer 33 is interposed between the knife-blade and the head .of the stop-screw 31, the latter being tightened to an extent insuring that the knifeblade is maintained in its selected threadcutting position during the operation of the machine.

Another T-bolt 34, disposed above the bolt 27 is seated upon the guide-shoulder 26and is secured by a nut 35 and washer 36 for ver-f tical adjustment in the slot 25. The belt 34, lengthwise thereof, has an aperture 37 providing a bearing for a short spindle 38 having at one end an eccentric head or cam 39 disposedwithin' a horizontally elongated slot 40 in the knife-blade 22. The opposite end of the spindle 38 projects beyond the nut 35 and carries a crank-arm 41 suitably pinned upon the spindle. I As in the machine of my patent application Serial No. 447,174, the needle 9 is reciprocated vertically to penetrate a base-fabric B on its downstroke, and upon its upstroke to seize the thread T presentedbythe rotary looper 42, whereupon the needle carries the thread in the form of a loop upwardly through the base-fabric. Before completing its upstroke, the needle carries the threadloop against the cutting edge 23 of the knife-.

blade, whereupon the thread-loop is cut open substantially at the middle of the loop bight to form separated loop-limbs constituting a.

the knife-blade 22 in its vertical guideway in,

the feeding foot 18.

The extent of turning movement of the crank-arm 41, i. e., the range of effective action of the knife-shifting means, may be limited byvertical adjustment of the T-bolt 27 in the slot 25, to thereby determine theposition of the stop-screw 31 in the vertical slot 32 of the knife-blade. For instance, whenthe crank-arm 41 is in its extreme upper position and the stop-screw 31 is adjusted toward the lower portion of theknife-slot 32, the crank-arm may be manually turned to its extreme lower position, thereby shifting the knife-blade its maximum distance. It will thus be understood that in the operation of the machine, a plurality of severed loops or rows of severed loops may, for example, be formed with the knife occupyingits extreme upper position upon the feeding foot, whereby a fabric pile is produced of the maximum length within a definite field of pile length.

The knife-blade may then be shifted to its lowest position by merely turning the crankarm 41 a half revolution, whereupon a fabric pile of the minimum length within said field of pi le length may be produced for a period again determined by the operator. The different positions into which the crank-arm is turned are maintained during the operation of the machine by the action of the frictionwasher 33 upon the knife-blade.

By adjustingthe T-bolt 27 to position the stop-screw 31substantially in the middle of the length of the knife-slot 32, the crank-arm can be turned only a quarter revolution and accordingly the knife is shifted a less distance than before and the difference in the lengths of the pile produced within said field is correspondingly less. It will therefore be understood that, by means of the present improvement, there may be produced a fabric pile P which as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings difl'ers at intervals in length with a uniformity requisite in certain kinds of work and also that, when desired, thedifference in the pile length may be changed within a definite field of pile length. Furthermore, the pile-length field may be itself changed by vertical ad ustment of said T-bolt 34, whereupon by corresponding adjustments of-the T-bolt 27, the knife has the same definite range of shiftable movement as before, but in a difierent field. It is of course obvious that the described adjustments also provide for resetting the knife inany desired position after the knifehas been shortened by regrinding for sharpening purposes.

.As in the machine of my prior patent application, Serial No. 447,174, the needle 9 is vertically reciprocated independently of the vertical movements of the feeding foot 18 and partakes of the lateral movements of "thermore, the feeding foot 18 is alternately with vertically reor y' movements of a presser-foot 43, c be understood, however, that the pres volition, its broader aspects, is not ed to any particular form of work-fried nechanisin or in fact to any particular 0 of pile-loop forming mechanism.

0 ti is set what T. claim herein is "ic-pilc forming machine compris cop-forming means, loop-severing dece cooperating with said loop-forming no in the severing of the formed loops, for shifting the cooperative position loop-forming means and the loop 'ering device from one point to another in limited field to thereby effect the production of different lengths of severed looplimbs constituting the fabric'pile, means for adjustably limiting the range of effective action of said shifting means Within said field thereby predetermine the difference in the fabric-pile length, and adjustable means for changing the field of efiective action of said shifting means.

ll fabric-pile forming machine having a reciprocatory loop-forming implement, a loop-severing knife cooperating with the loop-forming implement to cut open the loops successively formed by said implement, a knife support including adjustable means for repositioning the knife in the direction of the path of travel of the loop-forming implement, a rotatable crank-arm carried by said knife-support, and an operative connection between said crank-arm and the knife for shifting said knife from one predetermined point to another in said direction of the path of travel of the loop-forming implement.

it fabric-pile forming machine having a reciprocatory loop-forming implement, a loop-severing knife cooperating with the loop-forming implement to cut open the loops successively formed by said implement, a knife support having a guideway confining said knife to movements upon the knife support in the direction of the path of reciprocation of said loop-forming implement, means for adjustably supporting the knife upon said knife support, and means includl a i a i ll tltl ing a rotatable cam for shifting the knife in the support guideway between spaced loopering positions to eflect the production of t l brent lengths of severed loop-limbs con-- stituting the formed fabric-pile.

i. A fabric-pile forming machine having a reciprocatory loop-forming implement, a -.severing knife cooperating with the iorming implement to cut open the successively formed by said implement, iife support having a guideway confining knife to movements upon the knife suport in the direction or the of reciprocaton loop-forming implement, means forth the nature of the for adjustably supporting the knife upon said knife-support, means for shifting the knife in the support guideway to effect the production of difierent lengths'of severed loop-limbs constituting the formed fabricpile, and adjustable means for predetermining the limits of shifting movements of said knife.

5, A fabriopile forming machine having a reciprocatory loop-forming implement, a loop-severing knife cooperating with the loop-forming implement to cut open the loops successively formed by said implement, a knife-support, a rotary spindle adjusta-bly mounted upon said support and operatively connected with said knife to shift the knife upon its support, means adjustably secured upon said support for limiting the extent of shifting movement of the knife effected by rotation of said spindle, and yielding-means for maintaining said knife in fixed position upon said support while coacting with the loop-forming implement to sever the formed loo s.

A fabric-pile forming machine having a loop-severing knife, a slabbed loop-form ing implement reciprocable across the out ting edge of said knife having its slabbed face disposed flatwise in sliding engagement with a face of said knife, a reciprocatory car rier for said implement including means permitting the implement to turn slightly about its longitudinal axis to accommodate flatwise engagement with said knife, and yielding means urging the loop-forming implement and the knife into sliding engagement with each other.

7. A fabric-pi1e forming machine comprising, a loop-forming implement having a prescribed path of movement, means for actuating said implement, a. loop-severing knife cooperating with said loop-forming implement to sever the formed loops, a knifesupport, a manually operable device for shifting said knife between spaced loopsevering positions upon said support, adjustable means for predetermining the loopsevering positions between which said knife may be shifted, and means yielding upon operation of said manually operated device for maintaining said knife in fixed posltlon upon said support While coacting with said loop-forming implement.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

I WALTER MYERS.

till 

